On August 22, 2019, Shengli Church in Guandi Town, Dunhua, Jilin, held a celebration ceremony to mark its 20th anniversary.
Teacher Zhou Zhengmao, in charge of the church, recalled its past history. In 1984, a brother who converted to Christianity in Shandong brought the gospel back to Shengli Village. At first, only three of them gathered in a brother's home, signaling the birth of the church. In July 1999, the church building was completed.
In preparation for the celebration, the church staff and the congregation spent two months hand-decorating the church in and out. In particular, some sisters who were never used to physical work even at home were engaged in the laborious task. Seeing such enthusiasm, their family members and other surrounding villagers were touched.
Leaders from other rural and urban churches hoped the church would be a sanctuary where spiritual lives could be constructed, with every believer receiving a richer life which will in turn bring about a revival that will draw in new converts who could fill the church.
- Translatd by Karen Luo
(The author is a worker of Dunhua CCC&TSPM, Jilin.)
